Air buoy for bathers and the like



Feb. 15,1927.

E. E. ROBERTS AIR BUOY FOR BATI-IERS AND THE LIKE Filed June 11, 1925 Jrwenfoz, 52%?2 zfiRoberfs 5H0: mu;

Patented Feb.

ERVIN E.-ROBERTS, OF SANlDIEGQCALIEORNJEA.

My illlVGl'ltlOll AIR BUOY FOR FATHERS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed June 11,1925.

relatesito air buoys to be used for emergency purposes on boats and by bathers-in the water and for beginners 1n learning to s invention are:

First,to provi -may bereadily c suit or the clothing Off wim and the'objects of my de a buoy of this class which onnected an individual. Secvalve. Fourth,

' be emptied by operating :a plunger Fill the to provide a buoy ot this class which provides an audible sound to attract attention wuen it is being :iilled with air.

Fifth, toprovide anovelly constructed valve EOI'HIlI lNlQYS. Sixtlnto provide a novelly construct-ed air buoy and seventh, to provide an air-buoy and valve of this class which is'very -si1 n ple. and economical of con struction, durable, eficient, reliable and which will not r of order.

eadily deteriorate or get out \Vith these andother objects in view as 'will appear hereinaiterymy invention con .sists of certain :novel features of construction, coi'i'ibination and arrangement oi parts and portions as willbe hereinafter described in detail and p articularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon which form a part oi this application, in which:

l igure 1 is a air buoy in deflated form. F ig. 2 is a side elevational view of my fragmentary longitudinal sectional View through P2 01% Fig. 1

on an enlarged scale. Fig.

3 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale thr ough 33 of Fig. 1. Fig.

-l is a similar view through 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a top showing the buoy tarily and Fig.

view on an enlarged scale,

body portlon tragmen- 6 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale through 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the several views of the drawings.

The main body member 1, tabs 2 and 3,

valve member 4, valve diaphragm member 5 and valve plunger 6, constitute the principal parts and portions of my air buoy.

The main body member 1 is preferably composed of fle xible rubber in sheet form inside'oia bathing and bag shaped as shown the drawmgs, the 'Flg. ilat and before being Serial No. 36.300.

bestin Fig. 1 of 1 being practically filled with :air. It is over-lapped at the backside at 1 and-pro vided with cc and water tight seam.

ment 1", thus providing an air It is' provided :along its curved side with cement 1,shown best in Fig. 2 of gether by me the drawings and seweditoans'oi thread 1. Mounted at the lower opposite sides are a pair of tabs which extend downwardly and fold backwardly, as shown llQSlLlH Fig. 3 of thedraw ings and pro the folo and vided with cement ll between body portion. It is also :pro-

vided intermediate its ends with oppositely disposed tabs ible rubber, tl

.against itseli 3 which are composed other:- is same asthe body and-folded and sewed at 3 shown best in Fig. s ot the drawingsand cemented over the edges by Vin] means 01 cement -3xand 3.

inc upper end comes to nearlyrapointand is provided with sorted the one end of the valve .member 4% an-opening in which is inwhich is provided with a grooved near its lower end 'wi.

th an outward .flange l" intermediate its ends and its upper jendwith an enlarged portion 4.". It is provided with a central hole 4 which is provided with an enlarged opening 4' .at one end and 4 at vijded with a at opposite s the drawings.

its opposite end. This member 4. isalso pro- Vshaped cut away portion t ides, shown best in Fig. 6 of Mounted over the end of this member 1 is a rubber diaphragm member 5 which is of suliicient width to cover the opening 4: and extends part way over the grooves 4 It is held in position by means of a band 511. grooves 51. and over the tion 5 cured in posi The operat which clamps the member 5 into the Mounted over this lower. end extended portions of the porat the upper end is the body 1 setion by means of a string 1 ion of the device is as follows:

The deflated buoy is positioned inside of wearer with wardly folded back against tion of the body, the tabs 2 and 3 cured to the other garment, the tabs neck portion, necessity tor the bathing suit or other garment of the the portion from the tabs upthe other porare seinside of the bathing suit or 3 being near the then in case of emergency or use, the wearer can reach the folded portion, draw it out and by blowing into the upp inflate the b er end of the member 4 can uoy as desired, the air Will pass inwardly through the orifice 4?, expand the rubber diaphragm 5 so that the air passes into the body of the airbuoy and the air will hold the diaphragm against the opening l" and prevent the air from being released.

It will be here noted that the plunger 6 is provided with an enlarged portion 6, the opposite portion of which is adapted to engage the portion l of the member l and form an additional seal as this plungerextends slightly below the lower end of the member l as shown best in Fig. 2 ot' the drawings. It it is desired to release the air or any portion thereoi, from the body of the buoy it can be done by depressing the plunger 6 sufiiciently to letthe air out.

It will be noted that when blowing into the member 4 the air will pass by the co ners ot' the grooves l causing an audible signal when the buoy being filled.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination and ar rangement of parts and portions, I do not wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination and arrangement but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction. combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

l. In an air buoy otli the class described, a flexible hollow rubber member provided with tabs secured thereto adapted to be secured to a garment, an air check valve secured in the one end thereof comprising a valve member provided with an orifice therethrough secured in said body member,

forming a valve an elastic diapln-agm member secured there to and extending over the lower end of said orifice and a plunger mounted in the orifice in said valve member.

2. In an air buoy of the class described, 1

a rubber bag provided. with an orifice in one end, a plurality of tabs secured thereto, a check valve secured in the orifice in said bag comprising a valve member provided with an orifice therethrough secured in said body member, an elastic diaphragm member secured thereto and extending over the lower end of said orifice and a plunger mounted in the orifice in said valve member.

3. In an air buoy of the class described, a flexible bag provided with an orifice therein, a valve member secured therein and provided with an opening therethrough provided with an enlarged portion at opposite ends, the inner end forming a valve seat, a plunger reciprocably mounted in said opening provided with an enlarged end member tor engaging said valve seat, a diaphragm mounted over the end of said valve member adapted to close the opening therein.

In a device ot the class described, a valve member provided with an opening i'lierethrough provided with an enlarged portion at opposite ends, the inner end forming a valve seat, a plunger reciprocz bly mounted in said opening provided with an enlarged end forming a valve member for engaging said valve seat and a diaphragm mounted over the end of said valve member adapted to close the opening therein.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand. at Los Angeles, California this 3d day of June 1925.

ERVIN E. ROBERTS. 

